Generally, connectorizing coaxial cables requires physically connecting the center conductor of the cable to the connector center conductor. Connectorizing can be done in a manufacturing environment or in the field by users who need to terminate cables at various lengths depending on equipment location.
Two common methods are used to physically connect the cable center conductor to the connector center conductor. The first method is by crimping the connector center conductor around the center conductor of the coaxial cable. An alternative method is by soldering the two center conductors together. Both methods are in widespread use, but generally the soldering method is more reliable. The quality of the soldered joint, however, varies from person to person. The crimp method is considered to be more consistent in quality, but not as reliable as a good solder connection.
A poor quality termination can result in poor performance of the connection. With today's demand for increased density telecommunications equipment, limitations are now being dictated by the size of the cables used to connect network equipment. There is an increasing trend to downsize cables to allow for easier cable management and cause less cable congestion. As both the cables and connectors are reduced in size, handling becomes an important issue when connectorizing the cables, and it becomes more difficult to achieve consistent quality terminations either by soldering or crimping.
Blocks with holes or pins have been used to hold the connector center conductor while soldering in a manufacturing environment. These fixtures, however, require the user to hold the coaxial cable and, thus, make the quality of the connection dependent upon the skill and manual dexterity of the user. Similarly, soldering vises are commonly used to hold the center conductor of the connector, which still requires the user to hold the coaxial cable.